We often ask these questions in our mind - Is there One God or Many and why do we worship in so many ways for so many forms with so many rituals. Often we ourselves are unable to comprehend or explain this. Our children often get mixed signals and are unable to understand the concept. We subsumed alien influence on Indian thought over millennia even as we tried to identify ourselves with foreigners to 'elevate' our status during periods of subjugation in an erstwhile peaceful society. More recently, we tend to oversimplify and claim that Hindus too believe but in "One God" as Paramãtma that is similar to the concept of monotheism of the Western Faiths.

This sort of behavior is not unique to Hindus and is seen in other cultures in modern times. Recent proclamations by Islamic and Judeo-Christian scholars emphasize the relevance of their Scriptures accepting some aspects of one another's books and messages, now with the shrinking of the world with modern jet age travel. Many Islamic scholars are now accepting the Angels and Messiah of New Testament while maintaining that their own Prophet is the ultimate, final and perfect. They increasingly feel the socio-political-cultural pressures to conform and seek a relevant identity. While it is tempting for the purposes of social harmony to over-play the superficial similarities amongst various faiths, Hindu religion and Semitic religions differ in the most essential beliefs, in their orientation, approach and understanding on the concept of Deity and man, the Divine Spirit and the human soul.